• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.585-588
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• 1996

We experienced a case of upper esophageal leiomyoma successfully excised by thoracoscopic surgery. A 29-year-old male was presented with retrosternal discomfort and mild dysphagia and an esophagogram revealed smooth fElling defect In the upper third of the intrathor cic esophagus, and esophagoscopy showed a submucosal tumor without mucosal infiltration. Chest CT and MRI were performed to confirm size, character and location of the esophageal mass, the absence of infiltration of surrounding structures, and to define mediastinal Iymphadenopathy. The tumor was excised by thoracoscopic surgery and it was diagnosed as leiomyoma (4$\times$2xlcm in size). The postoperative course was uneventful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.715-717
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• 2004

A 59-year old woman visited us for incidentally detected posterior mediastinal mass. Preoperative esophagography, esophagoscopy, esophageal ultrasound and computed tomography showed a esophageal submucosal tumor. With the diagonsis of esophageal leiomyoma, the patient underwent right side video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS): The mediastinal pleura and the esophageal muscle layers were longitudinally opened and the tumor was enucleated. Esophagography performed at 6th postoperative day revealed no esophageal mucosal bulging or leakage. The patient was discharged reveiving a soft diet on the 7th postoperative day.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.621-625
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• 2002

Though leiomyoma is the most common tumor of esophagus, it accounts for only 1% of all esophageal tumors. Most of the leiomyomas are intramural type originating from the muscularis propria and only l% of them is intraluminal pedunculated type originating from muscularis mucosae. Recently, a 30-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of dysphagia. Radiologic examination showed that intraluminal tumor 5cm in diameter was found at the cervical esophagus. Endoscopic examination showed that the tumor was covered with normal mucosa. The patient underwent surgical excision through the left cervical approach. After full, longitudinal esophagotomy, the intraluminal pedunculated tumor was successfully enucleated. Esophageal leiomyoma was confirmed histopathologically. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was relieved from dysphagia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.3 s.272
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• pp.244-246
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• 2007

Mediastinal lymph node dissection is a method that increases the long term survival of patients with an esophageal carcinoma. However, dissection of the left mediastinal lymph node is almost impossible, as it is not easy to see. Herein, a left mediastinal lymph node dissection, with thoracoscopy through a cervical incision wound during minimal invasive esophageal surgery, is reported.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1392-1397
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• 1996

Over the past two years the free jejunal transfer have been used in 7 consecutive patients to restore alimentary tract continuity artier the resection of esophagus. Six patients had squamous cell carcinomas and one had esophageal stricture . The patients underwent partial esophagectomy with modified radicAl neck dissection or mediastinal Iymph node dissection. The microvascular anastomosis was performed to the neck vessels in 4 patients and to the in ercostal vessels in 3 patients. Postoperative complications were graft necrosis in one patient, and a temporary anastomotic leakage with spontaneous closure in one patient. Reconstruction of the esophagus was successful in 6 of 7 patients. We emphasize that esophagectomy followed by transplantation of a free jejunal transfer is suitable for esophageal carcinoma or intractable esophageal stricture, and involvement of the midesophagus is not a contraindication to the use of the free Jejunal transfer.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.711-714
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• 2007

Phlegmonous esophagitis is a disorder in which bacterial infection occurs in the submucosal and muscular layers of the esophagus. This malady is very rare and it is usually associated with high mortality. A 69-year-old male was admitted with chest pain and fever he'd experienced for 7 days. The chest computerized tomography scan revealed mediastinal widening, circumferential esophageal thickening, an air shadow along the esophagus and right pleural effusion. Drainage and debridement of the mediastinum and primary repair of the perforated esophageal muscular layer through a right thoracotomy was done immediately. Further surgical treatment was not performed. He had a good oral intake without dysphagia or esophageal leakage at discharge.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 1998

Recently, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal lesions has been considered a new effective therapeutic method. From March, 1992 to April, 1997, 33 cases of video assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal lesions were performed. Gender distribution was 16 males and 17 females. Average age was 42 years old(ranged from 14 to 69). The locations of lesions were anterior mediastinum in 14 cases, middle mediastinum in 5 cases, posterior mediastinum in 11 cases, and superior mediastinum in 3 cases. These included 9 neurilemmomas, 5 benign cystic teratoma, 4 pericardial cysts, 2 ganglioneuroma, 2 thymus, 2 thymic cyst, 1 thymoma, 2 esophageal leiomyomas, 1 dermoid cyst, 1 lipoma, 1 malignant lymphoma, 1 bronchogenic cyst, 1 pericardial effusion, and 1 Boerhaave's disease with empyema. Working window was needed in 6 cases. We converted to open thoracotomy in 6 cases. Reasons of convertion to open thoracotomy were large sized mass(1), severe adhesion(3), and difficult location to approach(2). The average operation time was 116min($\pm$56 min). The average chest tube drainage time was 4.7days. The average hospital stay was 8.7 days. Operative complications were atelectasis(2), empyema with mediastinitis(1), recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy(1), and plenic nerve palsy(1). In conclusion, VATS for mediastinal lesions were performed with shorter operation time and hospital stay, and lesser complications and pain than those of conventional thoracotomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.681-688
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• 1996

Most patients with carcinoma of the cervico-thoracic esophagus present with locally advanced disease. For this reason, therapeutic efforts have been largely palliative, focused on eradicating locoregional dis- ease, and have been attended by high morbidity rates. A 61 year old man was diagnosed to advanced cervicothoracic esophageal cancer(Type 1) and reli ved concurrent chromo-radiotherapy for 2 months in St. Mary's Hospital. And then he underwent transhiatal subtotal esophagectomy and radical dissection of cervical and superior mediastinal Iymph nodes with thoracoscopy. The histologic diagnosis was early esophageal cancer(Type 0-llb, SM2) and the curability of operation was calculated to highly curative(Clll). And the postoperative course was unevenful.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 1993

Several osteological characters of 45 species belonging to 26 genera and 4 subfamilies in th family Gobiidae were surveyed based on 348 specimens collected from April, 1984 to September, 1992 in the southern part of Korea. The characters include the following: first dorsal-fin pterygiophore formula, vertebral number, epural number, and number of anal-fin pterygiophores anterior to the first haemal spine. The first dorsal-fin pterygiophore formula and epural number showed considerable stability at the generic level, and the apeared useful characters at the species level. Among them, the epural number used formerly to distinguish gobiid subfamilies was considered to be unimpotant taxonomic character in the classification of the subfamily Gobiinae.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.590-594
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• 1991

We experienced a case of leiomyoma on proximal thoracic esophagus. The patient, a 42-year-old female, noted the insidious onset of dysphagia and chest discomfort for 6 months. Esophagogram showed a smooth filling defect in upper third of thoracic esophagus, T1-T4 level and esophagoscopy revealed a firm mobile mass about 6cm in length with normal overlying mucosa. The lesion was approached the Rt. posterolateral thoracotomy through 4th ICS and enucleated of tumor without difficulty. The patient`s hospital course was uncomplicated.